He arrived in Canada at the young age of 23, alone and with a dream in his heart. He worked long, gruelling hours until he was finally able to realize his dream of owning his own restaurant. Well done Jesus!
La Bella Managua's Story
When I opened my restaurant La Bella Managua in 2005, Nicaraguan food was completely unknown in Toronto. Nicaraguan cuisine draws on almost every aspect of Latin American cooking styles, but it puts a unique twist on certain flavours. Hinting at the tuber-based indigenous cuisine found in places like Brazil and Ecuador, I prepare sautéed sweet plantains and a dish of crispy fried marinated pork chunks and coleslaw atop steamed white yucca root. Gallo pinto, the Nicaraguan take on the Caribbean staple of rice and beans, involves mixing the ingredients into a red and black–flecked mashup, and Central American influence is also apparent on the menu in the form of tacos and quesadillas, and habañero peppers in the homemade salsa. People wanted to eat what they already knew. Slowly, customer by customer, word spread—first among Nicaraguans telling other Latin Americans, then among people telling their Canadian-born friends. It makes me feel tremendously proud, having this role. In a city where Nicaragua doesn't even have a diplomatic office, I pleased to be the lone representative of my homeland's culture and cuisine. Welcome to La Bella Managua!
Jesus Morales, Chef
Traditional Atmosphere
La Bella Managua is a restaurant in Toronto, Ontario that specializes in serving Nicaraguan style cuisine. The restaurant features traditional Nicaraguan dishes and is the only restaurant of its kind in the area.
The menu at La Bella Managua features a variety of appetizers, main dishes, pasta, vegetarian options, sides, desserts and kid-friendly options. Appetizer options include the restaurant as famous ceviche, calamari and the soup of the day. Entrees at La Bella Managua feature dishes like pollo a la parrilla, carne asada and bisteck encebollado. The restaurant also provides several vegetarian options including tajadas con queso, yucca mixta and bandeja tipica.
